Greens sign historic parliamentary agreement

Today we signed the Parliamentary Agreement with the Labor Party to form government.

It is the starting point, not the end point, for the ACT Greens and what we want to achieve over the next four years.

We secured some important measures for Canberra:

A commitment to deliver an ACT ICAC

Stage two of the light rail

More affordable housing and more public transport

Planning reform

Ongoing commitment to needs-based education funding; and

An Office of Mental Health... among many other important reforms!

However, of course, this agreement did not secure everything that the Greens are committed to. The Labor Party and the Greens are very different parties with very different visions for our city.

In particular, we are disappointed that the Labor Party did not have the courage to commit to $1 bets and stronger gambling reform. We will spend the next four years building community support, working with the health sector and with experts - and we won’t stop until we secure real action to tackle gambling harm.

We are also determined to ensure the ACT continues to lead the country tackling dangerous global warming. That means stopping the expensive (and inefficient) roll out of gas to new suburbs, and transitioning the ACT to a net zero emission territory by 2030.

We have listened to tens of thousands of Canberrans over the election campaign and they have made their priorities clear. We will make sure their voices are heard in the Assembly over the next four years.

The Greens acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We acknowledge that these lands were stolen and sovereignty was never ceded. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.